Various devices have been patented which are useful in respiratory therapy as well as hyperthermic treatment of nasal respiratory tract. The benefits associated with the use of these devices include the treatment of the common cold, allgeric rhinitis, emphysema, etc. These devices are designed to provide gas streams enhanced in either air, oxygen and/or water/water-vapor at temperatures ranging from ambient room to 44 degrees Centigrade (approx. 112 degrees Fahrenheit) or higher to respiratory and/or nasal respiratory tract at atmospheric or higher pressures. Each device uses different design parameters for regulating air/vapor-gas stream temperature, water/water-vapor and/or air, oxygen content at fixed gas stream flow rates.
Illustrative descriptions of these devices are set out in U.S. Pat. No. 4,369,777 Issued 1/25/83 and U.S. Pat. No. 4,401,114 Issued 9/30/83 both assigned to Yeda Research and Development Company, LTD. Although the above mentioned devices are useful in respiratory and respiratory tract support and/or treatment their commercial, economic and therapeutic efficacy is sometimes limited due to inherent cooperating limitations, such as: (a) water and/or water containers must be sterilized prior to use, (b) air stream/water-vapor transfer locations are susceptible to liquid condensation/collection which facilitates bacteria growth, thus requiring disposal, repurchase, and replacement of significant portions of the device after each use, and (c) non-uniform inhomogeneous wet gas--containing widely varying amounts of liquid and air having widely varying at different temperatures e.g. H.sub.2 O(112F/44.4C) vs air (135F/57.2C)--is delivered to respiratory or respiratory tract tissue causing significant patient discomfort.